Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Don N]

I've read several postings here about landscape lighting.  When I use an Appliance Module (AM486), I cannot control the lights.  If I use a Remote Module (RR501), I can turn the lights on and off.

Seems like the AM486 should work.  The module does work on other applications.  Any insight on why this doesn't work?

Thanks

[Brian H]

You may have a power line issue to the location of the Appliance Module.
When you used the RR501 was it in the same location as the Appliance Module was?
Where you using an X10 RF remote to control the RR501 or a power line signal?
If it was directly from an X10 Remote. It was being turned On and Off by the RF commands and not the power line commands.
If it was a power line command. More investigation may be needed.

[Don N]

Thanks Brian.
Both modules were in the same location.  And I was using a power line signal in both cases.
I am going to look and see what else is on that circuit.  It's an outdoor plug obviously.  I've got another plug in the area and I might give it a try.

If I can't solve the AM486 problem, using the RR501 is OK, it just has capabilities that I won't use.

[Noam]

As Brian stated, you may have a marginal signal at that outlet, and the RR501 is picking it up better than the AM486. You stated that the AM486 works in other applications - was it using the same HouseCode/Unit code that you tried it with for your landscape lights? If it is a marginal signal (and/or noise interference), trying a different housecode/unitcode combination might make a difference.

One additional suggestion: Using an AM486 or an RR501 outdoors might not be the best idea - they aren't rated for that.
Black and Decker used to make some outdoor-rated modules (they came as a short grounded extension cord with the module as an in-line block), but I haven't seen those in a few years.
In my house, I decided to extend the landscape lighting transformer's AC line cord into the house, and plug it into the Appliance Module on an outlet in my basement.

[dhouston]

X10 devices are very wideband (75-200kHz) and are very poorly tuned so it is likely that your RR501 is more sensitive to the PLC signal than your AM486. Others might find just the opposite.

[Don N]

Noam--thanks for the suggestions.  And dhouston, I couldn't agree more. 

Anyway I tried them all and there was no change.  So I'm just going to use the RR501.  I've protected the RR501 from the elements so I'm not worried about the fact that it's outdoors.  Here in Southern California we don't get snow, ice, hail, hurricanes or even rain.  Just have to worry about earth quakes shacking the unit loose, so I've tied it down.